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Stewart hits DL with wrist injury; Valbuena up

Stewart hits DL with wrist injury; Valbuena up

CHICAGO -- Ian Stewart has been dealing with soreness in his left wrist for more than a year, and he's hoping to find answers as to why when he sees a hand specialist next week.

The third baseman, who was hitting .201 in his first season with the Cubs, was placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday. The team purchased the contract of infielder Luis Valbuena from Triple-A Iowa.

"In a way, you hope there is something there," said Stewart, who will see a specialist at the Cleveland Clinic. "It has lingered for over a year, or about a year, and nothing has come up. Maybe he'll see something different. I should know early next week."

Stewart, 27, has tried to play despite the discomfort, and for the last month, has tried a more extensive wrap which the Cubs' athletic trainers came up with to give him some support. It wasn't working. This season, Stewart has five homers, five doubles and two triples in 179 at-bats over 55 games.

He's looked great in batting practice.

"It's a little different in the game, because in [batting practice], the guy's throwing 50 miles an hour and you have a lot more control of your swing and the way it feels," Stewart said. "In the game, you have no control over anything. You're playing hard and you don't really know where the ball is going to be, and you're changing your swing depending on breaking balls.

"I was trying to battle through that," he said. "If I wasn't going to be able to go out there and really produce and help the team, there was no sense in being out there if it was hurt."

Stewart's wrist has been examined extensively and he's had MRIs. Nothing shows up on the tests.

"It was always there in the back of my mind that something wasn't right," Stewart said.

He has experienced some tingling on the outside of his left hand, so the problem could be nerve damage. He hopes to get answers next week.

"You don't ever want to be hurt, but when something lingers like this, you almost hope they can go in and find it and fix it, and you move on from that and it's behind you," he said.